Display-sign holder.



F. W. BEGKWITH.

DISPLAY SIGN HOLDER.

APPLICATION TILED APR.28, 1913.

1,0 0,317, Patented Dec. 2, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Zr/z'inwuew aha/672703 Frad I IZBeclwzi/z CQLUIlIlA PLANOOMPM CO., WAJMINO'I'ON, D C.

FRED W. BECKWITH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DISPLAY'SIGN HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dee. 2,1913.

Application filed April 28, 1913. Serial No. 764,167.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Fnno IV. BEoKwrrrI, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Display-Sign I-Iold ers, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a holder for display signs of the style usually placed in the window of a store or other place of business and to a holder for that class of signs which are usually changed from day to day or at frequent intervals.

The objects of the present invention are to provide a sign holder which will permit of the easy removal or changing of the various signs as desired, which will be cheap and simple of manufacture, which will receive the signs in a manner so as to space them apart as is desirable, and which will provide means for holding the signs in position so that they will not become displaced during usage and to place the signs in position so that they will have the desired display.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for oppositely locking both the upper and lower ends of the sections eonstituting the holder thus making a rigid structure of the same.

The invention further consists in the features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective embodying what may be termed the preferred form of construction; Fig. 2 a cross section of said construction; Fig. 3 a portion of one of the upright members forming the holder of said construction; Fig. 4 a side elevation of a modified form of construction; Fig. 5 a cross section through this modified form; Fig. 6 a detail in perspective showing one of the upright members of said modified construction; Fig. 7 a detail of the plate used with the modified construction shown in Figs. l, 5, and 6; Fig. 8 a side elevation of a second modified form of structure; Fig. 9 a cross section through the structure shown in Fig. 8; and Fig. 10 a detail of the socket employed in connecting the supporting members to a transom molding.

The present invention relates, as stated, more particularly to a sign holder adapted to be placed in a window and used for the purpose of receiving signs of the style which are usually changed from day to day, as for instance announcements of daily sales or the announcement of special dishes on restaurant menus.

The present invention provides a structure, which although of a removable nature, will be held in a firm and rigid manner, and will constitute in a sense a permanent holder for the signs. The signs can be placed close enough to the glass of the window to be easily discernible and at the same time can be elevated so as to give them the proper amount of display.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the device there illustrated is composed of two companion vertically extending supporting members 9, each of which as shown, is hollow and is of rectangular formation in cross section. The ends of these members are held by being slipped over studs or projections 10, which can be of any suitable construction, and which are preferably so arranged, as to permit the supporting members to be disconnected from the holders by a slight longitudinal movement thereof. If desired, a set screw 11 may be utilized for locking the members to the studs. The studs are preferably placed in close position to the glass of the window so that the sign is placed relatively close thereto. Each of the supporting members 9 is provided with a series of slots 12, and each of said slots is similar in construction and consists of a vertically extending portion 13 arranged along the side face of said member and of a llOliZOIliiallY extending slot 14 arranged along the rear face of said member, the slots 13 and 14 are connected together by a diagonally disposed slot 15 also extend ing along the side face of the member. It will be understood that each of the members 9 is provided with a series of slots of this character, and that the slots extend along the adjacent faces of the members 9; that is the side faces which are to the inside of the members, and that the slots in one of the members are in horizontal alinement with the slots on the other member, each alined pair of slots constituting what may be termed a set of slots. Each set of slots receives the side edges of a plate 16 upon which the signs are painted or upon which paper is pasted upon which the sign is printed or written. By referring to the drawings it will be seen that each slot is spaced away from the other along the length of the members 9, so that each set of slots is spaced apart, and consequently when the plates are placed in position, they will be spaced apart a distance equal to the spacing of the slots. Tn placing these plates in position within the slots they are turned into a horizontal. plane and the side edges are inserted in the slots 14. The plate is then shoved forward and follows the slot 15 and is gradually turned into a vertical position and into the slot 13, finally assuming the position shown in Fig. 1, namely the vertical one. When it is desired to emove these plates the foregoing operation is reversed.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a cheap and simple sign holder is provided which is so arranged as to permit of the ready removal and insertion of a sign, and the signs when placed within the holder will be given the prominent display desired, and will not take up an undesirable amount of space in the window.

Referring now to Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7, a somewhat modified form of construction is there shown. This modified structure consists of companion vertical supporting members 17 which are similar in size and construction, and each, as shown, of hollow formation, and rectangular in cross section. Each of these members is provided along its inner face with a series of slots 18, said slots facing each other as will be understood by referring to Fig. 5. The slots are spaced apart from one another as shown in Fig. 4 so that the signs when placed in position are likewise spaced apart. The plate which I desire to use with this construction is more clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 7 and consists of a body portion 19 provided at each corner with a notch or recess 20. The lowermost of these notches or recesses when the sign is in position straddles the lower wall of the slot and thus locks the plate in position. The slots are preferably made slightly in excess of the width of the plate so as to enable the plate to be readily and quickly inserted and removed from position. The side edges of the plate, of course, lie within the interior of the members 17 so that a firm and rigid bearing for the plates is provided. The members 17 are anchored in sockets 10 which may be of a construction similar to those heretofore described.

A third modification is illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9. This form consists of companion members 21 preferably in the form of a metal tube and the upper and lower ends of these tubes are anchored within suitable socket members 22. The tubes are each provided with a series of bores 23 extending from the front to the rear thereof. The bores in one tube being in horizontal alinement with the bores in the other, said alined bores constituting a set. The platesQ are placed againstthe outer faces of these members and locking members 25 are inserted in position to lock the plates in position. These locking members as shown consists of a stem 26, provided with a suitable head 27, and threaded at one end to receive a nut 28. It is obvious by loosening these members the plates can be removed and others substituted and that by the provision of a series of these bores a plate of almost any width can be accommodated.

In all three of the structures above describedthe signs are so placed in the window as to be properly displayed and at the same time eliminate the washing of the window to remove the paper after each sign has been placed in position, and also eliminate the occupying of an undesirable amount of window space. In each of the constructions the signs may be interchanged, or removed and others substituted in a simple and quick manner and each structure consists. of a firm and rigid support for the signs which can. remain in position as long as desired. In certain constructions of windows a transom molding extends below the upper edge or ceilin of the window. In such constructions 1 ailix a socket 29 to the wood of the transom molding 30. Into this socket I insert a ring 31 and this ring 31 receives the upper end of the supporting members for the signs. Tn windows Where this transom molding is not present I secure the sockets 10 to the floor and ceiling of the window. It is understood that the material, size and shape of the various forms of holders may be varied as desired, according to the idea of the manufacturer, provided the structure is maintained within the scope of the ap pended claims.

I claim- 1. A window display sign holder, comprising vertically extending hollow supporting members polygonal in cross section, means for anchoring each of said members, said members each being provided with a series of opposed slots along the adjacent faces thereof, each slot consisting of three sections, one section extending horizontally on the rear face of the supporting member and the second section extending vertically on inner side faces of the supporting members and below the first section and a third section extending between the vertical and horizontal, section and lying at an angle to each, a rectangular plate adapted to be inserted within any selected pair of said slots, said slots receiving the side edges of the inserted plate, said plate when first inserted lying horizontally and turning to a vertical position by descent in said slots, substantially as described.

2. A window display sign holder comprising com anion hollow vertical extending supporting members, each rectangular in cross section, means for anchoring said members in position, said members each being provided with a series of opposed slots along the adjacent faces thereof, each slot consisting of three sections, one section extending horizontally on the rear faces of said members, a second section extending vertically on the inner side faces of said members and below the first section, and a third section extending between the vertical and horizontal sections and angularly disposed to each,

and a rectangular plate adapted to be inserted in any selected opposed sets of slots, the side edges of said plate lying within said slots when inserted, each plate being placed horizontally at the initial insertion into said slots and turned to a vertical position by downward movement in said slots, substantially as described.

FRED W. BECKWVITH. Witnesses WM. P. BOND, Ermmnr BANNING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. O. 

